MALI-FRANCE-CONFLICT

Legenda:This handout picture taken and released on January 25, 2013 by the French Army Communications Audiovisual office (ECPAD) shows French Foreign Legion's soldiers preparing to leave the Mopti military base. French and Malian troops advanced today on the key Islamist stronghold of Gao after recapturing the northern town of Hombori as the extremists bombed a strategic bridge to thwart a new front planned in the east. The French-led assault against the radical Islamists controlling northern Mali entered its third week with a strong push into the vast semi-arid zone amid rising humanitarian concerns for people in the area facing a dire food crisis. AFP PHOTO /
RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT 'AFP PHOTO / ECPAD / JEREMY LEMPIN' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS NO ARCHIVES - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - TO BE USED WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM 01/25/2013 (Photo credit should read JEREMY LEMPIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Legenda:

This handout picture taken and released on January 25, 2013 by the French Army Communications Audiovisual office (ECPAD) shows French Foreign Legion's soldiers preparing to leave the Mopti military base. French and Malian troops advanced today on the key Islamist stronghold of Gao after recapturing the northern town of Hombori as the extremists bombed a strategic bridge to thwart a new front planned in the east. The French-led assault against the radical Islamists controlling northern Mali entered its third week with a strong push into the vast semi-arid zone amid rising humanitarian concerns for people in the area facing a dire food crisis. AFP PHOTO /
RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT 'AFP PHOTO / ECPAD / JEREMY LEMPIN' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS NO ARCHIVES - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - TO BE USED WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM 01/25/2013 (Photo credit should read JEREMY LEMPIN/AFP/Getty Images)

This handout picture taken and released on January 25 2013 by the... Fotografia de notíciasBase Militar,Conflito,Conflito no norte do Mali de 2012-2013,Escritório,Guerra,Horizontal,Legião Estrangeira Francesa,Mali,Mopti,Mostrar,Partindo,Preparação,Soldado,Soltar,TropaPhotographer AFPCollection: AFP 2013 AFPThis handout picture taken and released on January 25, 2013 by the French Army Communications Audiovisual office (ECPAD) shows French Foreign Legion's soldiers preparing to leave the Mopti military base. French and Malian troops advanced today on the key Islamist stronghold of Gao after recapturing the northern town of Hombori as the extremists bombed a strategic bridge to thwart a new front planned in the east. The French-led assault against the radical Islamists controlling northern Mali entered its third week with a strong push into the vast semi-arid zone amid rising humanitarian concerns for people in the area facing a dire food crisis. AFP PHOTO /
RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT 'AFP PHOTO / ECPAD / JEREMY LEMPIN' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS NO ARCHIVES - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - TO BE USED WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM 01/25/2013 (Photo credit should read JEREMY LEMPIN/AFP/Getty Images)